This was a song that really was a surprise hit for Sonic Youth (and by "hit" I mean a song that got some plays on MTV) and was reaaaaaly close to being the song that signaled the arrival of alternative music going mainstream before "Smells Like Teen Spirit" did it.
I was immediately impressed with this one because of the inclusion of Chuck D, who at the time was rocking my little suburban white boy world. That gave them some instant cred with me, then throw in the fact that the song was an ode to LL Cool J (i.e., "Kool thing, walking like a panther", "play with your radio" and the repetition of "I don't think so") and I was more than willing to listen.
Yeeeeh. Tell 'em bout it. Hit 'em where it hurts.
Plus, the organic sex appeal and sultry delivery of Kim Gordon, possibly the coolest girl in rock music, didn't hurt either.
I believe I bought "Goo" along with "Dirty" from good buddy and sometime contributer ej my freshman year of college, and I was totally hooked (especially by "Dirty", which still might be my favorite album of theirs pound for pound). I subsequently went back in the catalogue, buying the seminal "Daydream Nation" at one of Downtown Records many incarnations, getting an approving comment from the clerk and feeling all fuzzy inside. As soon as I heard "Teenage Riot", it was another one of those, "So that's what the fuss is all about" moments.
Since then, I've been a loyal fan, buying each new release as it comes out (although I didn't get the last one, "Rather Ripped", which I remember getting great reviews. I should probably check that one out, no?). Their 1995 album, "Washing Machine", is one of those albums that is incredibly evocative of a particular time and place. You know what I mean. That album always takes me back to 1995, being in grad school, living in the baseball house, and, let's say, living the life of a young single man in Athens. Good times indeed. That year culminated in seeing Sonic Youth at Legion Field, which was an altogether fantastic experience.
What I really love about this band boils down to their marriage of noise and melody. They can establish a beautiful, catchy song early on, then at some point they meander away from what they've established and launch into a free form explosion of chirps, feedback and distortion, but then always being you safely back to the familiar by the end of the song. That, or the opposite - they throw you in the deep end immediately, make you find your bearings, then offer you a gorgeous hook out of nowhere to land you. It's unpredictable, demanding, and I never get tired of their songs becasue I can always find something new to unearth within them.
Let's take "Kool Thing", for instance. It begins with a simple 16th note pattern (on the CD, it's actually continued from the previous song) and early on hits the main riff at :13 (all song times are from the recording, not the video, if you're keeping score at home). It rocks along, seemingly straight forward (though the guitar squeaks at the end of every line and the howling guitars that answer Gordon in the chorus hint at something to come). At 1:25, the inevitable break begins, softly at first, and then we get our Chuck D / Kim Gordon interplay. That culminates at 2:21, where you can barely hear Gordon whisper "Come on, come on, come on", inviting the chaos. And it does come - perhaps not as heavy as their other songs, but let's remember, this was a pretty mainstream attempt.
My favorite part of the song happens right after this break. Gordon speaks: "When you're a star / I know that you'll fix everything". Then the briefest of pauses, then BAM at 3:14, right back into the main riff. That's awesome. I suppose this song accomplished what it was supposed to. Get someone interested in your band through an attractive, palatable bait, then get them to dig deeper. I'm glad I did, after all.
http://www.mediafire.com/?w1kzo4hzzdw
5 comments:
Chicks who sing. Mean songs too. Sonic Youth is just out of my musical radar. They hover around the edge like Pretenders, Pavement, and Phish. Not on the inside like Portishead, Prong, and Pantera. The above mentioned bands have not much to do with each other. They all start with P. True.
Listening to the Sonic Youth cuts you posted remind me of something strange I experienced in the 90s. Although I did not listen to them on purpose, they were a part of my awakening to the fact that not all music was the same.
But, alas, Sonic Youth remains in the group of musicians that I've heard of, I've heard, and of whom can recognize a few songs here and there, but I don't know them. I just know that they helped me discover some other band.
Police
Public Enemy
Page and Plant
Peter Paul and Mary
Phonosychograph
Pearl Jam
Pink Floyd
Primus
Probot
Nice track. Too bad it was not from "Dirty" which is probably my favorite of their albums.
Also, you did not seem to mention that you saw a Gerhardt Richter exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago that included the painting that is the cover of Daydream Nation (damn those cool points would have been nice).
I have seen SY once, and it has to be one of the best shows I've seen. It helped that they started around 9:00 instead of the traditional Athens time (12:45).
Prince
Pras
Pixies
P.I.L.
Pet Shop Boys
Pretenders
Is there a band named Pussy Galore?
There should be.
Puff Daddy
P.J. Harvey
Pennywise.
I'm with y'shua on this one.. sort of. I never really "got into" Sonic Youth. I have always enjoyed their music, but I only own the self-titled album and Sonic Nurse, two albums with many a year inbetween. Of the two, I enjoy the former the most. I appreciate their music, but for some reason it never connected with me as other music has.
I should be into them more than I am. I recall many a time being stoned and listening to Goo while cooking brunch for the Athens masses.
I agree, B.Mo. Kim Gordon is crazy hot. Slim, tough, low-top Chuck Taylor's, bass, and she always dresses so hot on stage. Of course, now she falls into the MILF category, which I'm all about.
P.S. One thing I appreciate about this blog is that I return to music I've seemingly abandoned. As a result of last week's post, I am actually listening to All Things Must Pass right now. I think I'll throw on Sonic Youth next. Thanks, B.Mo. You're a stand-up guy.
Polvo
Phil Collins
Peter Frampton
Pink Panties
Pylon
Paul Simon
Postal Service
Peggy Lee
Porter Wagoner
Yes, Pussy Galore is a band. I think Kim Gordon was associated somehow.
Sonic Youth....a Thrasher Magazine favorite of the late 80's. That magazine was so far ahead of the curve of popular culture. I think the world is just now starting to catch up to Rob Roskopp.
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